Plow type coal mining machine



May 26, 1964 w, GEORG 3,134,581

PLOW TYPE COAL MINING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1961 United States Patent 3,134,581 PLOW TYPE COAL MENIENG MACHENE Werner Georg, Altlunen, Germany, assignor to Gewerlrschaft Eisenhiitte Westfaiia, Wetlnnar, near Luuen,

Westphalia, Germany Filed May 9, 1961, Ser. No. 109,237 Claims priority, application Germany May 11, 1960 4 Claims. (Cl. 262-8) This invention relates to coal mining machines and particularly to that type of machine adapted to plow or plane coal from the face of a seam as the machine is pulled along its face.

A machine of this type usually operates in conjunction with a conveyor onto which the loosened coal drops. The loosening of the coal is done by cutter blades mounted on a head forming part of the machine and pivoted thereon so that they dig into the coal seam or swing out away from the seam depending upon the direction of travel of the machine. In this instance, the rocking head has a pair of cutter blade sets so arranged that, as the machine travels in one direction, one set of cutters digs into the coal seam and upon reversal of direction of the machine, the other set digs in and the first set moves back out of cut-ting position.

In accordance with the practice of this invention, the base or body portion of the machine is provided with guide blocks at its ends which act as gauges too for the depth of cutting. They may be varied as to width for various depths of cutting, also they cooperate with the base of the machine to support tools for scraping or guiding the coal cutting or slitting the bottom of the out.

It is an object of the invention to provide an efiective coal mining machine of the type above referred to which is simple to manufacture and effective in its operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part described and in part obvious from the following description:

The drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and includes:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of a coal mining machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of a machine with a modified form of tool supported by the guide blocks;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the modification of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a coal cutter having a body having rearwardly extending arms 11 which are adapted to cooperate with a conveyor (not shown). In a general way, this machine is adapted to operate in a manner as described in Patent #2,745,651 of May 15, 1956 and is accordingly adapted to be pulled along the face of a coal seam and to deposit cuttings dug therefrom onto a suitable conveyor.

At the center of the body 10 is positioned a pivoted cutter head 12 pivoted on a vertically disposed pin 12' and provided with a plurality of cutters 13 and 14 spaced apart to each other and alternately digging into the coal seam depending upon the direction of travel of the face or body portion 10. At each end of the body portion 10, the front face is recessed to receive a shoe 19 held in place solidly by the countersunk studs 20. Shoe 19 may be of any suitable thickness and acts as a gauge for the depth of cutting by cutters 13 and 14.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the blocks 19 are adapted to act as a support for cutting tool carriers 16 provided with bottom cutters 15'. Block 19 carries a pivot 19a, engaging tool carrier 16 at its adjacent end. At the opposite end, carrier 16 is provided with a pivot 16a fitting into a recess 10a in base 10. Since pivots 19a and 16a are coaxial and horizontally disposed with respect to each other, carrier 16 is adapted to swing to adjust the height at which cutters 15 Will engage the coal face. For this purpose an adjusting screw 18 is provided extending into a threaded aperture 18a in base '10.

Cutters 15 are particularly useful when operating upon hard coal seams for scaling oif undesirable short humps or projections at the floor, and they furthermore tend to hold the machine down against the tendency to climb.

In FIG. 4 is shown an alternative form of coal engaging tool 21 which is particularly useful in soft coal formations and is in the form of a guide for the cuttings. Its support by the gauge block 19 is entirely similar to that of the tool carrier 16. If desired, tool 21 may conform to the recess in base 10 in which it is received so as to be immovable. At its end face guide block 19 may be tapered as at 1% so as to smoothly approach the coal seam face.

It will be smn that for replacement due to wear or changed conditions, removal of studs 29 loosens block 19 whereupon the tool carrier 16 or tool 21, as the case may be, is readily slid from its mounting and replaced with another tool. Readjustment of the carrier 16 about its longitudinal pivotal axis 17 may be readily readjusted by the adjusting screw 18 reached through the aperture 18a in base 10.

It is also understood that the machine under certain conditions may be beneficially operated with neither tool 16 or 21 iIlSfif-ted in which case blocks 19 merely act as guides or gauges for the depth of cutting.

What is claimed:

1. A mining machine of the coal plow type comprising a body portion having a face adapted to be presented at a coal seam and a recess at an end of said face, a coal engaging tool mounted in said recess, a gauge block rigidly and detachably mounted in said recess and providing a support for said tool, said tool being provided with a pivot extending horizontally into an end wall of said recess, and a second pivot on said gauge block extending into said tool to support the same and means interconnecting the coal engaging tool and said body portion for positioning the coal engaging tool on said pivots.

2. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said pivots are in alignment and disposed in the horizontal plane and parallel to the front face of said body portion.

3. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the interconnecting means permits adjusting the inclination of said tool with respect to said body portion.

4. A mining machine as set forth in claim 3 in which said interconnecting means is a screw mounted on said body portion and bearing against said tool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A MINING MACHINE OF THE COAL PLOW TYPE COMPRISING A BODY PORTION HAVING A FACE ADAPTED TO BE PRESENTED AT A COAL SEAM AND A RECESS AT AN END OF SAID FACE, A COAL ENGAGING TOOL MOUNTED IN SAID RECESS, A GAUGE BLOCK RIGIDLY AND DETACHABLY MOUNTED IN SAID RECESS AND PROVIDING A SUPPORT FOR SAID TOOL, SAID TOOL BEING PROVIDED WITH A PIVOT EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY INTO AN END WALL OF SAID RECESS, AND A SECOND PIVOT ON SAID GAUGE BLOCK EXTENDING INTO SAID TOOL TO SUPPORT THE SAME AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE COAL ENGAGING TOOL AND SAID BODY PORTION FOR POSITIONING THE COAL ENGAGING TOOL ON SAID PIVOTS. 